moody

moody — adjective

1. Someone who is moody has emotions that shift quickly and for reasons that are no

1.形容詞B1
釋義

Someone who is moody has emotions that shift quickly and for reasons that are not always clear, so they may seem angry, sad, or irritated one moment and calm or happy the next.

例句

Yan can be moody in the mornings until he has had his first coffee.

be moody + time expression (in the mornings)

The teacher described Élise as a moody student who rarely smiled in class.

described as + moody (passive construction)

同義詞
  • temperamental

    emphasises that the behaviour is part of someone's natural character; slightly more formal

  • unpredictable

    broader meaning — covers behaviour, decisions, or reactions beyond just mood

  • irritable

    focuses on becoming annoyed easily, not necessarily shifting between different emotions

  • sulky

    narrower — specifically silent and bad-tempered, often in a childish way

反義詞
  • even-tempered

    describes someone whose emotions stay steady and calm

  • cheerful

    consistently happy and positive, the opposite of the unhappy aspect of moody

文法句型

be/look/feel moody

moody + noun (e.g. moody teenager, moody behaviour)

become/get moody + time/reason

用法筆記

Frequently used with be, become, or feel to describe a person's temporary or lasting disposition. Attributive use before nouns (a moody teenager, moody silence) is common. The word often carries a mildly negative judgment about someone's emotional stability.

常見錯誤

❌She is moody today' (when meaning she is simply sad).
✅She is feeling sad today.
💡'moody' describes quick emotional shifts, not just sadness.
❌The weather is moody' (meaning gloomy).
✅The weather is gloomy.
💡for weather or atmosphere, use sense 2; sense 1 only applies to living beings.

2. If a place, piece of music, photograph, or film is moody, it creates a strong em

2.形容詞B2
釋義

If a place, piece of music, photograph, or film is moody, it creates a strong emotional feeling, especially one that is sad, mysterious, dark, or slightly haunting.

例句

The old lighthouse had a moody atmosphere that matched the stormy sky outside.

collocation: moody atmosphere

Sirin took a moody photograph of the fog-covered bridge just after sunrise.

同義詞
  • gloomy

    similar but more negative, with less sense of mystery or beauty

  • sombre

    more formal, suggests seriousness or sadness without the mysterious quality

  • atmospheric

    broader — can describe any strong atmosphere, including positive ones

  • brooding

    suggests deep, dark thoughtfulness; often used for skies, landscapes, or artistic works

反義詞
  • bright

    full of light, opposite of the dark quality in moody atmospheres

  • cheerful

    happy and uplifting, opposite of the sad or mysterious aspect

文法句型

moody + noun (e.g. moody lighting, moody music, moody atmosphere)

用法筆記

Used attributively before nouns describing visual art, places, light, music, or sound. Does not describe people — compare with sense 1, which is about a person's changeable temperament rather than the atmosphere they create.

常見錯誤

❌The painting looks moody' (meaning the painting creates a gloomy feeling).
✅Correct
💡this is precisely sense 2. No mistake here; this is a valid use.